


Hello World

by Keluturtle



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Arthur is a robot AU, F/M, M/M, Multi, might end up multichap we'll see, there it is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2019-08-07 07:17:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16403813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keluturtle/pseuds/Keluturtle
Summary: Arthur glanced at Lewis, who was wringing his hands awkwardly. Taking pity on him he sighed, the sound tinny and filtered.“So, I’m a robot who works at a mechanic shop. A mechanic shop that his uncle runs. That sound about right?”Robot Arthur AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you would like to see what Robot Arthur looks like for this fic: https://i.gyazo.com/b4fc3dd5344c71a4b09ccf8094b5ea0b.png
> 
> (also this isn't beta read so apologies for any mistakes)

“Are you sure this is the right place, Vi?” Lewis was skeptical as they pulled up to the garage. A large wrench adorned the storefront and a mess of an old wrecking yard consisted of its backyard.

 

“Sure am!” Vivi was already out before Lewis had time to even slow to a stop. She bounded up to the store and politely waved inside before gesturing for Lewis and Mystery to hurry up.

 

Sighing fondly, Lewis parked the car in the small lot and he and Mystery followed Vivi inside the small mechanic shop.

 

The store owner walked around the counter and shook both their hands as Vivi talked animatedly about the owner’s job posting.

 

“...and you say that the haunting started a few weeks ago?” Lewis questioned.

 

“That’s what I reckon, at least,” the store owner, Lance, nodded, “The wrecking yard just doesn’t sit right anymore. You can hear things that just makes your hair stand on in.”

 

“Oooh, like what?” Vivi was ecstatic at the notion of a case that didn’t end up in just another masked weirdo or some other type of fake. Mystery wagged his tail excitedly at the prospect. But, Lewis wasn’t so sure.

 

“Are you sure it isn’t just the wind or some sort of radio on the fritz from one of the cars? Maybe an engine got jumpstarted somehow?”

 

Lance laughed goodnaturedly, “Oh, I don’t think so. I’ve been a mechanic here for three decades and I’ve never heard anything like this coming from the yard before.”

 

Vivi was practically vibrating with glee as she and Mystery giggled at each other. Lewis smiled, sighing softly.

 

“Alright, we’ll take a look and let you know what we find.”

 

The three started to exit back out the front door before Lance called back to them.

 

“Oh, I can’t just let you go out just by yourselves!” Lance frowned, crossing his arms, “You should at least take something from the shop with ya to protect yourselves.”

 

The three exchanged looks.

 

“Thanks, but I think we’ll be okay-”

 

“Oh, I have the perfect idea!” Lance, snapped his fingers before walking over to an employee’s only door and hollering back, “Artie come out for a second!”

 

Lance let the door slam back shut and grinned at the three, “Artie’s my nephew- he works in the yard… well… he worked in the yard at least before the haunting started. He should be able to show you folks around just as well as I could.”

 

Well, a tour guide couldn’t hurt, right? Especially with a job that sounded so tame.

 

Soon enough a voice resounded from the back of the store, “You don’t have to yell, Uncle Lance, I can hear you just fine.”

 

Vivi gasped as Lewis and Mystery’s jaws dropped.

 

“Yes, well, sometimes I think you pretend not to hear me on purpose, Artie. Gotta make sure you can’t ignore me when I need ya.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” the tinny voice pouted, glowing eyes rolling before finally seeing the three gaping in the storefront.

 

“Uh… hi,” ‘Artie’ greeted, waving a mechanical hand, “I’m guessing you’re having trouble with your uh car?”

 

Lance shook his head and patted Artie’s arm, “No, no these here folks are here to see about the haunted yard.”

 

“Oh. Right.” He stammered a bit thinking about it, but grinned at them, “Well good luck with that.”

 

He turned to leave but Lance grabbed his shoulder to turn him around, “No, no, Arthur you’re going with them.”

 

“What!?”

 

“You know the yard better than them; it’d only make sense.”

 

“Then why don’t  _ you  _ go? You know it better than me!”

 

“I gotta watch the storefront, Arthur.”

 

The bickering continued for a few more moments before Mystery barked, finally composed.

 

“Oh! Yeah - you don’t have to go with us, um, Arthur was it?” Vivi tried, voice soothing, “I’m sure we can manage just fine.”

 

“We’ve got this covered, Mr. Lance. Really,” Lewis smiled.

 

“Hmmm…” Lance closed his eyes, considering, his grip still tight on Arthur.

 

Finally, he gave a nod and pushed Arthur in their direction.

 

“Arthur could use some good influences to be brave like you lot. I’m sure if he wasn’t such a scaredy cat, then he could have solved it himself when this first happened.”

 

“Hey!” Arthur’s faceplate burned with indignation and embarrassment.

 

“Don’t you argue with me, Artie,” Lance warned, “It’s true and you know it.”

 

Arthur pouted before sighing in resignation, “Fine. Let’s just get this over with quickly. I was working on a project you know,” he continued to grumble as he exited the store with Lewis, Vivi and Mystery on his heels.

  
  
  


* * *

 

 

“So…” Lewis began awkwardly. They had begun their trip through the wrecking yard with relative peace, aside from the few grumbles from Arthur early on. Vivi and Mystery, despite Arthur protesting, had taken the lead, leaving Arthur and Lewis to trail behind.

 

Arthur glanced at Lewis, who was wringing his hands awkwardly. Taking pity on him he sighed, the sound tinny and filtered.

 

“So, I’m a robot who works at a mechanic shop. A mechanic shop that his uncle runs. That sound about right?”

 

“Uh… yeah,” Lewis chuckled awkwardly, “How did… that happen?” He mentally cursed himself for being so tongue-tied, but it wasn’t every day that you met a walking and talking robot - especially one who was as emotionally sophisticated as Arthur was. Enough to be cowardly and all.

 

“My father, or creator I guess if you prefer, decided that he was lonely and made me. The end.”

 

“That… sounds like a very abridged version?” More mental cursing.

 

“Well, it’s not like there’s much more to it than that,” Arthur shrugged, “I don’t even get to see him much anyway nowadays.”

 

“Oh… I’m sorry. That must be difficult,” Lewis frowned. It did seem odd that the only two people in the shop were Arthur and his uncle. No one was even working in the adjoined garage either. It just seemed oddly… desolate.

 

“Hm. I guess,” Arthur trailed off as another bout of silence hung in the air.

 

“Well, I think that-” Lewis was cut off as a sharp high pitched warble sounded through the wrecking yard.

 

All four of them covered their ears (or auditory sensors) and looked around frantically.

 

When the warbling finally stopped, Arthur let out of tense sigh.

 

“Well. I’m sure you guys can take it from here-” Another loud warble, sounding closer somehow, and Arthur was clinging to Lewis’ side.

 

“Nevermind, I’m just gonna… follow you guys. Just in case. Yeah,” Arthur laughed nervously.

 

The group continued onward, Vivi pulling out a small sensor, Mystery sniffing the ground, Lewis fiddling with another slim gadget, and Arthur sticking as close to the group as possible.

 

As they turned a corner, two cars jump started to life, their engines revving underneath the piles of cars, turning their wheels this way and that as if trying to free themselves.

 

Vivi was the first to act as her sensor went crazy, beeping so intensely that Lewis could hardly believe it hadn’t shorted out yet. She pulled out a small device and threw it at one of the cars, it whined loudly before shorting out both of the two vehicles.

 

And Arthur.

 

Arthur fell to the ground with a large crash of metal, his eyes going dark with the effect of the EMP.

 

“Oh, shoot!” Vivi cried out as Lewis scooped Arthur up swiftly. 

 

Another horrible warble rang out in dismay, louder and shriller than before. The cars around them jolted to life, their alarms honking in a cacophony. Arthur also startled briefly, his eyes shining briefly before blacking out again, his limbs convulsing in Lewis’ grasp.

 

“We’ve got to head back now!” Lewis shouted over the resounding warble, the cars continuing to turn off and on, their engines revving menacingly.

 

As they raced back to where the shop was it became increasingly clear that no matter which way they turned, they were lost in the middle of the yard. Disoriented by the honking and rattling of engines, the trio tried to find a place to hide, only to come across more and more angry sounding cars.

 

There was so much blood rushing in Lewis’ ears that he almost didn’t catch the small beeping and whirring noises coming from Arthur.

 

Looking down he saw Arthur open his eyes, almost sleepily, before grimacing.

 

“Five more minutes, ughh,” he grumbled before Lewis jostled him accidentally his arms, almost tripping over a spare exhaust pipe.

 

“Woah okay I’m up! I’m up!”

 

“Arthur you’re okay!” Vivi grinned as they all continued running in what seemed like an endless maze.

 

“Yeah, I’m- I’m fine,” Arthur looked around, confused as to where he was and who these people were.

 

Then his memory finished rebooting. And he was terrified.

 

“Right okay, take a left here, quick!” Arthur began yelling out directions as cars finally came toppling down around them, engines warmed up enough to begin chasing after the four.

 

They barely made it out of the yard as a large pileup crashed behind them and they skidded across the parking lot of the garage.

 

The pileup blocked the entrance to the yard and the cars behind honked frustratedly before turning off resigned. The gang all signed in relief as the cars finally shut off, getting up shakily to their feet, slowly hissing in pain at their scrapes and bruises from the rough landing.

 

They stumbled back toward the shop as Lance rushed out to meet them.

 

He had heard the crash and had come running from his workstation to make sure that they were all okay.

 

As he helped patch their injuries, he apologized profusely for the trouble and thanked them for their help.

 

The three mystery solvers sunk in their seats as they heard these apologies and praises. They especially felt low when they saw Lance do a tune-up to Arthur to make sure he didn’t accidentally damage anything important. 

 

After recounting their tale to Lance, he addressed Arthur, “You rebooted? After an EMP?”

 

“I’m not sure how…” Arthur shook his head, “but with the cars all suddenly starting around us, even ones that have been out for good, it’s easy to assume that whatever is haunting the yard has control over electronics.”

 

“And I thought of sending you out by yourself…” Lance’s expression clouded and he hugged Arthur tightly.

 

Lewis, Vivi, and Mystery all exchanged looks before approaching the two.

 

“Well… if it hadn’t been for Arthur, we wouldn’t have made it out of their alive,” Vivi admitted, wringing her hands.

 

“Yeah, he was really brave back there,” Lewis piped up, Mystery barking in agreement.

 

Arthur smiled in thanks as Lance pulled back to pat his shoulder affectionately.

 

“That’s my boy,” he smiled softly before his expression became grimmer.

 

“Still, until we get this mess solved,  I can say that maybe the old yard isn’t the best place for me and Arthur to stay in,” he nodded solemnly.

 

“What!?” Arthur squawked.

 

“It’s dangerous for you to be here if it’s true that the phantom or whatever is haunting this place can control electronics,” Vivi agreed.

 

Lance nodded, “We’ll have to make some plans, but we should be able to at least live up the road at the motel for a while until we get this solved.”

 

“We don’t have the money for that, Lance!” Arthur bristled, “We’re already behind on the shop without having to shut it down for some undetermined amount of time!” His voice box was cracking as he gestured wildly around him.

 

“We’ll make do, Artie,” Lance said with an air of finality. He turned to the mystery trio to thank them again for their time.

 

“He can stay with us,” Lewis blurted out.

 

All four of them turned to him with confusion and alarm as he flushed and raised his hands up placatingly. 

 

“I’m just thinking that… I’m not very good with cars... and we go on odd jobs here and there… and if you don’t have a place to stay…” Lewis stumbled over his words, but Arthur piped up with revelation in his voice.

 

“Then I could go and Lance could still run the shop while I’m away…”

 

Lance had a few choice words about that and there was a long and arduous debate that followed, but it was decided that Arthur was allowed to go with the trio as long as his safety was assured.

 

And so, after a long and teary set of farewells and a new mechanic in tow, the now mystery quartet headed off on their next adventure.


	2. Chapter 2

“Don’t forget that he needs routine maintenance! I’ve included his instruction manual with his toolkit, so make sure that you give it a read over,” Lance handed over the kit to Lewis who almost doubled under the weight.

 

“Maintenance?” Lewis questioned, glancing back at Arthur as he packing the rest of his things in the back of the van, thankfully out of hearing range.

 

“Oh it’s nothing that I’m sure he can’t handle himself,” Lance puffed up with pride, “But just in case he needs a tune up and can’t reach a faulty wire or the like, it’d be helpful if you or Vivi could give him a hand.”

 

“Y-yes sir,” Lewis nodded, “I’ll be sure he’s taken care of, Mister Lance.”

 

* * *

 

 

Of course, Lewis was currently eating his words, hands deep in Arthur’s open chest plate. Why were there so many wires and contraptions!? He knew Arthur was advanced, but really.

 

Glancing back over to the manual, he sighed in frustration as he replaced a sheared wire with a new one from Arthur’s toolkit, carefully soldering it into place. He certainly hoped that he wasn’t messing up anything vital at the very least. 

 

Lance was going to kill him.

 

He hadn’t expected the latest adventure to end up with Arthur’s front getting slashed in from a headless horseman’s scythe. Nor did he expect the horseman to dump him in the lake afterward...

 

This was definitely not taking care of Arthur as he promised.

 

This was… a mess.

 

Vivi and Mystery had left for town to get some spare parts while Lewis read and re-read the manual and repair what he could safely.

 

Of course, normally Lewis would love one on one bonding with his new best friend, but this wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. At all.

 

Soldering another wire into place, he pressed a button on the side of the fixed device to try and reboot it. It beeped quietly and hummed as Lewis put down the soldering iron and picked up the manual again, trying to make heads or tails of the rest of the devices.

 

The humming groaned weakly and Lewis flipped back to that diagram, frowning. He was certain that he at least followed that one properly. He glanced back over, frustrated, but his breath caught as he saw Arthur cradling his chest cavity weakly.

 

“Arthur?”

 

“You could have at least turned off the nerve simulators before jumpstarting me, Lewis,” Arthur grit out in pain.

 

“Oh shit!” Lewis flipped through the manual to find the page about that, but Arthur had already removed a panel on his side, flipping a switch to off mode and sighing in relief.

 

“S-sorry…” Lewis swallowed and cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair “Sorry about that. I didn’t realize that would jumpstart you. The diagrams are a bit- “ he trailed off, mumbling.

 

“-complicated?” Arthur filled in.

 

Lewis nodded silently.

 

“It’s fine. My dad wrote that for Lance especially. So it’s a little complex of a read for anyone besides him…. even if he doesn’t realize that,” Arthur joked.

 

“Right…” Lewis flipped through the pages. His dad wrote it…

 

“Anyway, I can probably take over from here. The main problem that caused my shortage has been fixed, which kudos to you really,” Arthur smiled softly at Lewis.

 

Lewis blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, “Well, I’m sure you could have handled it better. I’m a little used to fixing the car when it needs something fixed, but nothing as complex as well… you,” he gestured over to Arthur who laughed a little.

 

“Well, you did just fine, trust me,” he began to dig around in his toolkit for some parts, assessing the damage.

 

“Thanks… I’m just glad you’re alright, Artie,” Lewis confessed, “you gave us a real scare back there.”

 

Arthur stopped his motions and looked to the side, guiltily.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“What are you apologizing for? It wasn’t your fault,” Lewis shook his head and placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder.

 

“It was my fault that you got placed in harm’s way. If you had just stayed in the van…”

 

“Then they would have scythed you instead,” Arthur said testily, sitting up sharply, “And you’re not as easy to put back together now are you?”

 

Lewis looked taken aback and Arthur winced, hanging his head.

 

“Sorry, I just… I wouldn’t want to see you guys get hurt when I could do something about it,” Arthur mumbled, hands wringing together.

 

Lewis frowned, “While I appreciate the sentiment, you really shouldn’t be so self-sacrificing about it. You’re worth protecting too, Artie.”

 

Arthur remained silent before nodding and returning to his work.

 

Lewis furrowed his brow, remaining silent, “You know that you’re worth just as much to us, right?”

 

Arthur paused in his work before nodding reluctantly.

 

Lewis wasn’t convinced.

 

He placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder before gently taking the screwdriver from his hand.

 

“Teach me how to fix you.”

 

Arthur blinked.

 

“What?”

 

“If you’re going to be a member of this team, then I better learn how to take care of you too, right?” Lewis smiled softly, “After all, we want you to be around as long as possible.”

 

Arthur paused before beaming, “Then I better give you a crash course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just couldn't stop myself...


	3. Chapter 3

Performing routine maintenance on Arthur became a mundane part of Lewis’ life faster than he expected it to be. Then again, Arthur was a great teacher and was extremely patient when Lewis was struggling, especially in the beginning.

 

After a few months and a lot of slip-ups, Arthur jokingly made him a certificate titled “Certified Arthur Mechanic.” The faux ceremony afterward ended up with a tipsy Vivi with a tired Mystery in her lap, and Lewis and Arthur cuddling in the back of the van.

 

The group became closer than ever afterward. No one had guessed that Arthur would end up being a physically affectionate member of the gang. In almost every exchange he would place a hand on arms or shoulders, would love cuddling during the nights when he needed to recharge his battery packs, and some would say petting Mystery became his favorite pastime.

 

So, it came as a surprise when one day he just suddenly stopped.

 

No more light touches, no more cuddles, and no more petting (to Mystery’s dismay.)

 

There was definitely something wrong with their friend, yet no one was sure how to bring it up. It wasn’t until Arthur refused to have Lewis work on his monthly repairs that Lewis drew the line.

 

“What’s bugging you, Artie?”

 

“What do you mean?” Arthur questioned, awkwardly shifting side to side.

 

“You’ve been… avoidant,” Lewis frowned, “Avoidant of us. All of us.”

 

Arthur frowned and wrung his hands together, “It’s really nothing. I just have been having some processing problems, and I don’t want to bother anyone while I try and figure them out.”

 

“Processing problems?” Lewis was immediately on the alert.

 

“It’s really no big deal,” Arthur raised his hands, placatingly, “It’s just taking some time for me to figure it all out.”

 

“You should let us help you,” Lewis implored, “Even if it’s not a big deal, we’re all friends. We want to make sure you’re okay.”

 

Arthur bit his lip and looked down before nodding finally.

 

“Okay. But, you have to promise to remain calm while we figure it out.”

 

* * *

 

“You’re burning up!” Lewis yelled, distraught.

 

“This is definitely not remaining calm,” Arthur mumbled.

 

Arthur was normally slightly warm to the touch, even cold sometimes when he was resting. But now, his outer plating was almost scalding to touch.

 

“Why haven’t you told us about this? It could be serious. We might need to take you to see Lance,” Lewis scolded.

 

Arthur pouted.

 

“It’s really not a big problem,” he lied as a light steam began to form from his faceplate.

 

Lewis tried hard to remain calm.

 

“Alright let me grab… something to keep you cool.”

 

As Lewis ran back to the van, Arthur opened up his chest plate to relieve some of the built-up heat, wincing as his processors whirred angrily. Arthur messed with his toolkit, grabbing a screwdriver to loosen some valves and tighten others.

 

Lewis returned with a bottle of antifreeze and a handful of towels. Soaking the towels, he placed them on Arthur’s forehead and sides. Arthur sighed in relief, sending Lewis a thankful smile before continuing his work.

 

“So, why didn’t you tell us about this?” Lewis questioned again.

 

“I…” Arthur tightened a screw and sighed, shaking his head, “I guess I just didn’t want you all to worry about me.”

 

“We’re your friends Artie. We’re supposed to worry about you,” Lewis joked awkwardly.

 

Arthur huffed out a laugh.

 

“I suppose you’re right,” he paused and sent Lewis a sad smile, “I guess I just thought this would all go away. That I could solve it and it wouldn’t be worth worrying about.”

 

“Even if it could be easily solved, we still want to know how you’re doing,” Lewis placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder, ignoring the heat seeping through his vest, “Or else we’ll worry for a completely different reason.”

 

Arthur nodded, “You’re right. I know it. I’ll… try and be better about it.”

 

Lewis smiled, “That’s all I can ask for.”

 

A few hours passed with little progress, Lewis changing the towels occasionally when Arthur got too hot. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be an end in sight.

 

After two more hours and Arthur’s battery running low, Lewis took him inside the van, laying him carefully on the spare mattress in the back and plugging in his battery to recharge. Wiping off his hands on a spare towel, he called for Vivi and Mystery to join him.

 

After explaining the situation, the four of them were on their way to Lance’s workshop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun dun
> 
> I wanted to add more to this chapter, but it'll just be added to the next one bc cliffhangers :^)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, it's been a busy week and weekend! Also, thank you to everyone who's commented and left kudos so far. It always makes me happy to read/see your feedback!

After dropping Arthur off with Lance, all Lewis, Vivi and Mystery could do was wait for the verdict. The air was tense as they waited on news about their friend.

 

After a few hours and no news from Lance, the trio headed back to the van. They tried to get some sleep after their mentally exhausting trip to the Kingsmens’ garage. Time passed slowly as they drifted in and out of consciousness, the clock never seeming to go fast enough and Lance never waking them for any sort of update on Arthur’s condition.

 

Eventually, they settled enough for the evening to pass into morning. Mystery was the first to wake up, whining softly when he remembered the current situation. He nudged Vivi and Lewis softly until they both groggily woke up. Frowning at each other, they slowly piled out of the car and into the storefront.

 

What met them was a surprise. Arthur was fully functional for one- and they all wanted to cheer in relief and rush to hug him- but there was someone stopping them. A mysterious man was patting Arthur’s shoulder as he smiled back at him.

 

A small hamster on wheels was circling the duo, excitedly, before noticing the newcomers. He screeched his tires to a halt and began to circle them instead.

 

Arthur and the mystery man turned to the group before Arthur laughed.

 

“That’s enough, Galaham, come here,” He put his arm down and the hamster squeaked excitedly before rushing to get scooped up by the robot.

 

Petting the small rodent with a thumb, Arthur waved sheepishly at the trio.

 

“Hey, guys.”

 

That was their cue to rush up to Arthur and nearly squeeze him into pieces. Galaham squeaked in alarm and jumped onto the mystery man’s shoulder instead while his friend was smothered in hugs.

 

After a small chuckle from the mystery man, Arthur smiled sheepishly and slowly pulled himself free of his friends’ grasp.

 

“Hey guys, um, I’d like you to meet my dad,” Arthur scratched the back of his neck and gestured to the other man who waved slightly.

 

“I had to call him in for repairs,” Lance stepped out of the back office, wiping his hands on an oil rag, “Turns out that problem was pretty serious. Even I couldn’t get it figured.”

 

Mr. Kingsmen nodded, glancing at Arthur, “Thankfully it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Had the exposure to the virus been prolonged, however, it could have caused massive damage to Arthur’s matrix.”

 

His tone rung of disapproval and Arthur pointedly avoided eye contact.

 

“A virus?” Lewis inquired.

 

“Yes. Quite a serious one too. Somehow it wormed its way into Arthur’s central processors and decided to cause trouble for his entire matrix.” Mr. Kingsmen elaborated.

 

He paused thoughtfully, “I’m just surprised and grateful that it didn’t cause more of a ruckus.”

 

Arthur looked uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his neck with his eyes glued to the floor.

 

“Well, thank you for fixing him, Mr. Kingsmen. We were all worried sick,” Vivi smiled, trying to clear the air.

 

Mr. Kingsmen pursed his lips, “Yes, I’m quite sure.”

 

The trio all glanced at each other, confused. Meanwhile, Arthur looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.

 

The next few moments passed by tensely until Galaham squeaked animatedly, causing everyone to perk up and watch as the hamster jumped from Mr. Kingsmen to Arthur’s shoulder. Arthur raised a brow before smiling at Galaham who was gesturing impatiently.

 

“Oh, right,” he scooped Galaham into his palm and outstretched his arm to display an excitedly posing hamster.

 

“This is Galaham... He’s my assistant,” Arthur chuckled, “He just wanted to be properly introduced too.”

 

Galaham squeaked in approval. He posed one final time before dropping off Arthur’s palm and circling the mystery trio again.

 

Mr. Kingsmen smiled slightly, “Well, now that we’ve been introduced, I suppose that you all should be going?”

 

The trio fumbled for a moment before nodding. Arthur also nodded and went to join them, but was held back by a protective hand on his shoulder.

 

“I didn’t mean you, Arthur.”

 

Arthur floundered for a moment before shaking his head, “What do you mean, dad? I’m all better now, so I should get going and-”

 

“And watch over the shop with Lance,” Mr. Kingsmen cut him off, “Since the old lot has been rid of that ghost for a while now, it would stand to reason that you stay and help your uncle with the store.”

 

“But Dad, I have another job now,” Arthur glanced over at his friends who were still awkwardly waiting inside.

 

“Your job is to work _here_ Arthur. That’s all,” Mr. Kingsmen looked over at the trio crossly as he said those words.

 

They all stared back suspiciously.

 

“But Dad-”

 

“No more excuses.” Mr. Kingsmen raised a hand to silence Arthur, “Your job is to work here. And that’s final.”

 

Nodding resolutely, he turned and led Arthur to the back office as Lance and Galaham watched sadly.

 

Lewis, Vivi and Mystery were speechless.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this took a while to put out! Life has been busy. Have a colored robot Arthur in apology https://bit.ly/2QJNP9F !!

Life without Arthur was far different than any of the Mystery gang could have expected. For such a short time frame, Arthur had a huge impact on their life. Now, having to return back to their work without him seemed like almost an impossible task.

 

Fighting monsters and solving mysteries just didn’t seem right without Arthur by their side - even when he was just waiting for them in the van, welcoming them back with a smile and the promise of a road trip.

 

All of their plans seemed to become empty without Arthur.

 

Lewis took it the hardest, of course. Losing the robot had been a shock. Besides Vivi, Arthur was his closest friend. Losing him so suddenly was a blow he wasn’t prepared for... especially since he was still sorting out his feelings towards Arthur in the first place. 

 

His feelings had been treading a fine line between friendship and crush for a while before Arthur’s forced removal. He had been ready to fight tooth and nail for Arthur to continue on with the team too. Had Lance not calmed them all down and promised that he’d talk with Arthur’s father, things would have turned ugly fast.

 

Now, Lewis spent most of the day quietly moping, letting Vivi drive the van instead (Which was a bad idea most of the time. As it turned out, Vivi was reckless in person  _ and _ on the road.)

 

A few months later, they received a call from Lance.

 

Almost immediately they started the drive to the Kingsmens’ garage.

 

Being able to give limited details, Lance just said not to expect too much from the visit. But, with the possibility of being able to see Arthur again, it was hard not for the trio to get excited.

 

After a solid eight hours of driving, they made it to the garage and quickly stepped foot inside the shop. The air became tense as they noticed Mr. Kingsmen in the storefront who nodded to them almost imperceptibly. 

 

Thankfully, Lance came to the rescue, welcoming them back to the shop with bear hugs and a large, yet awkward, smile. Clearly, Lance was also feeling the tense air, his eyes subtly glancing between Mr. Kingsmen and the mystery trio.

 

“So, you’ve come to visit Arthur then, I take it?” Mr. Kingsmen broke the air promptly, taking everyone by surprise.

 

“Uh, yeah, Lance gave us a call that… we should visit?” Lewis agreed, hesitantly.

 

“Yes, yes. You’ll find that Arthur is in much better shape than he was since the last time you visited,” Mr. Kingsmen nodded towards the employee’s entrance, “You’re free to visit him, of course.”

 

After the three murmured their thanks (or barked in Mystery’s case) they tentatively entered the back, looking around at the extensive workshop.

 

There were a lot of trinkets scattered all over the workshop. From the tables to the walls and the floors there seemed to be all sorts of gizmos, half-finished or sometimes even barely started. Galaham could also be seen snoozing in a cage tucked in the corner of the shop, clearly tired out from his own “tinkering.”

 

They carefully maneuvered their way through the workshop to the figure bent over a bench, soldering pieces of a small device.

 

Arthur, of course, was the one working on the device. He was too focused on his work to have noticed them come in or clatter about, apparently.

 

Lewis cleared his throat.

 

The robot didn’t seem to notice at first, but then slowly put down the device and turned to them.

 

“Can I help you?”

 

The trio faltered at the stilted response.

 

“Um… Lance called?” Vivi offered.

 

“Oh…” Arthur seemed to process this for a moment, “Was there something you needed me to work on?”

 

“Uh… I mean, sort of… the van I guess?” Lewis offered up awkwardly, “If your dad agrees to it.”

 

Arthur blinked, confused.

 

“I’m not sure why he wouldn’t?”

 

The trio sighed in relief.

 

“Sorry if I’m coming across rude or anything…” Arthur sounded the words out slowly, tinny voice now sounding almost like music to the trio’s ears.

  
  


“Oh it’s fine-” Lewis began.

 

“...But usually, customers aren’t allowed in the backroom,” Arthur finished.

 

“...Huh?”

 

* * *

 

As the trio was ushered out by an apologizing Arthur, Mr. Kingsmen seemed to relish the confused and betrayed look on their faces.

 

Arthur was quick to step outside so that he could look at the van.

 

“What…” Lewis stammered quietly, staring at the window at Arthur who was examining the van.

 

“What happened to him?” Mr. Kingsmen smiled, overly genial, “Why, I fixed him of course. He’s working much better than he was when he first got back, don’t you agree?”

 

“He’s not himself,” Vivi accused. Mystery growled in agreement.

 

“Not himself?” Mr. Kingsmen chuckled humorously, “Why, he’s working exactly how I programmed him to. I think that constitutes as being himself, don’t you?”

 

Mr. Kingsmen narrowed his eyes, “Or do you just think otherwise because he’s not paying any attention to the likes of you anymore?”

 

“What do you mean by that?” Lewis growled, turning away from the window to glare at Arthur’s dad.

 

“I mean that my son has finally turned his attention away from distractions and clearly that means… you three,” he smirked.

 

Lance was quick to jump to his feet, holding his hands up and then between the trio and Mr. Kingsmen before a fight could break out.

 

“Now let’s be cordial here, yeah?” Lance tried, “After all ya’ll are guests here. And I think that maybe Arthur would love to get… reacquainted with ya’.”

 

He shot a reprimanding look at his brother who turned away with a scoff.

 

“If you must.”

 

“You…” Lewis shook with rage.

 

“We would love that thanks!” Vivi hugged Lewis tightly, her smile clearly wide and fake to keep the peace.

 

“...Right,” Lewis stood down at Vivi’s insistence, trying his best to calm down in the face of his best friend’s strange behavior and his dad’s smugness.

 

“Then why don’t ya’ll stay for dinner?” Lance smiled, glancing out the window at Arthur.

 

He wasn’t sure what all his brother had done to Arthur, but he was sure that his friends would fix him up again in due time.


	6. Chapter 6

Dinner was tense.

 

The Mystery Crew minus one was trying their best to talk to Arthur, but without his memories of them, and no sign of regaining them, they were slowly giving up hope.

 

After dinner Mr. Kingsmen smugly excused himself, leaving Lance to sigh disappointedly and glance at Arthur sadly.

 

The Mystery trio were also trying to contain their disappointment.

 

“Well…” Lewis started, “I guess we should be going.”

 

Vivi bit her lip as Mystery whined softly.

 

Lance nodded and scratched the back of his neck, “I suppose you oughta’ before my brother comes back to kick ya’ll out anyway.”

 

Lewis let out a forced chuckle before nodding and excusing himself to wait by the van.

 

Vivi wasn’t so ready to give up though. As Mystery wandered to join Lewis, Vivi stomped up to Arthur with a determined frown.

 

“Um…” Arthur wavered at the display, wondering just what he had done to upset her.

 

“Artie,” Vivi grabbed Arthur’s hands between hers, “I know you don’t remember us anymore. But, I think that we’re in there somewhere. Somewhere in your memory, there’s something that your dad can’t ever take away. And that’s how much we love you.”

 

Arthur’s face shifted emotions quickly. From confused to embarrassed to sad and guilty.

 

“I’m sorry that I can’t remember you,” he admitted, “You would have been such great friends.”

 

Vivi lit up with a sudden idea, her grin widening with excitement.

 

“Then we’ll have to make new memories!”

 

“What?”

 

* * *

 

And that’s how the Mystery trio kidnapped a robot from his home (Well, with permission from Lance and a befuddled but agreeable Arthur.)

 

“Are you sure I used to do this?” Arthur questioned as he parked the van in front of a convenience store.

 

“Positive,” Vivi chirped happily.

 

They were out shopping for spare supplies for their next mystery. With no contact from Mr. Kingsmen, they were itching to get back into the swing of solving mysteries together with Arthur. Arthur, however, was not convinced.

 

“I just don’t think I’m cut out for… ghost slaying?” He said, puzzled, as they walked into the store, “I’m not that kind of guy. Courageous and all that.”

 

Lewis smiled as he inspected one flashlight brand to another, “You used to think that too. And then you saved my life on more than one occasion.”

 

“Now that really doesn’t sound like me,” Arthur mumbled as Lewis put the flashlight in the small shopping cart.

 

“You surprised yourself a lot,” Lewis mentioned, smiling fondly at Arthur, “I think that you’ll surprise yourself all over again.”

 

“You guys seem to know an awful lot about me,” Arthur mused.

 

“Lewis even knows how to fix you,” Vivi piped up, “he got pretty good at it too.”

 

“You know how to fix me?” Arthur asked, awed, “But… no one but me and dad can understand the manual he made.”

 

“Oh… you uh, taught me,” Lewis smiled, suddenly avoiding eye contact.

 

“I did?”

 

“Yeah… you even gave me a fake certification too. Official Arthur Mechanic or something like that...,” Lewis admitted, embarrassed.

 

“Oh, I see…” Arthur furrowed his brow, musing to himself as they finished picking out the rest of their shopping list.

 

As they all piled back into the van, Arthur glanced curiously at Lewis who was settling in to navigate.

 

But, after cranking up the van and pulling back onto the road, he let his musings tune out with the sound of the radio.

 

* * *

 

Their next stop was a mansion that was supposedly being haunted by a malevolent spirit. 

 

Arthur volunteered to watch the van while the rest of the gang went inside to check out the claim, giving Vivi and Lewis time to discuss the condition of their robotic friend.

 

“Do you think he’ll ever remember?” Lewis frowned as he flashed a light over an ornate painting.

 

“I’m not sure, actually,” Vivi admitted as she inspected a vase, tapping it lightly with her knuckles.

 

Mystery simply sniffed the floor, trying to catch a scent of anything paranormal.

 

Lewis sighed and turned his light to the dark corridor in front of them.

 

They were about halfway through inspecting the mansion and there was still no sign of any ghost or creature haunting the house. It seemed like another dud mission.

 

That was until they heard a metallic screaming from downstairs.

 

“That sounds like Arthur!” Vivi fretted, running towards the stairs.

 

“Head to the foyer!” Lewis yelled, trailing quickly after her with Mystery in tow.

 

Another metallic yell rang out as they ran down too many stairs as quickly as they could.

 

Finally, they came to the scene of Arthur trying to fight off a poltergeist that was quickly turning him into scrap metal.

 

“Guys! Help!” Arthur held a candelabra out, waving it around vigorously in an attempt to protect himself from the ghost.

 

Charging quickly, Mystery put himself between Arthur and the poltergeist, growling deeply.

 

Vivi was quick to follow, pulling out a metal baseball bat from her bag, swinging it energetically at the ghost. At the same time, Lewis quickly grabbed Arthur, heaving him over his shoulder and rushing him from the mansion.

 

After making it to the van, Lewis was quick to assess the damage, taking tools from Arthur’s kit and starting work on quickly stopping the oil leaks from his chest to Arthur’s surprise and relief.

 

Arthur gave him a shaky smile, apologizing for stepping inside and causing trouble. Lewis was adamant that he stop apologizing. Arthur could never cause trouble for them.

 

Meanwhile, Vivi and Mystery were quick to combat the ghost into hiding inside a vase, sealing it quickly inside.

 

Leaving the vase at the doorstep, they quickly joined Lewis and Arthur in the van, worried about Arthur’s condition.

 

After a tedious patch up and rewiring, Lewis sighed, relieved. He hugged the robot, taking him off guard.

 

“Sorry…” The robot attempted to apologize for the thousandth time, “I didn’t mean to make a mess of things… but thank you for fixing me.”

 

“You always get into scrapes like this, Artie,” Lewis chided, “And I’ll always be there to help fix you.”

 

Arthur blinked slowly, his thoughts muddled by overwhelming emotions. He simply hugged Lewis back tightly.


	7. Chapter 7

Arthur was confused, to say the least. His hardware was overclocking as he tried to process all he had learned so far about Vivi, Lewis, and Mystery. There were a lot of pieces that were trying to fall in to place, trying and trying again to fit perfectly into the algorithm.

 

His new friends were honest and friendly. They didn’t seem to be the type to lie to him about anything important (or anything at all really, especially in the case of Vivi being brutally honest.)

 

But he also trusted his father and respected his word. His father was always there for him.

 

Yet, they both told conflicting stories. About  _ him _ of all things.

 

What was the truth?

 

He hardly saw his father, and when he did it was almost always for tune-ups.

 

Lewis, Vivi, and Mystery all seemed pensive around him.

 

Who was he supposed to believe?

 

The harder he tried to process the two stories, the more they became intertwined and the more they became unraveled.

 

He laid down in the back of the van, staring at the ceiling. He tuned out Vivi and Lewis’ idle chatter as they drove down the empty streets towards their next destination.

 

Mystery turned over in his sleep, yawning and cuddling up to Arthur’s side.

 

Arthur smiled softly and reached out a hand to pet him gently.

 

Mystery, Lewis, and Vivi were always there to make him feel better.

 

They made him happy.

 

Did his father make him happy?

 

He immediately felt guilty just thinking about it. Surely his father made him happy too.

 

But, he was hesitant to playback his memories of his father from his archive just in case.

 

Was it necessary to decipher the truth?

 

Maybe he just preferred being around his friends. That should be natural, right?

 

Yet it still bugged him for some reason.

 

The more he thought about sifting through his memories the worse he felt. Almost sick.

 

Frowning, he pulled up an internal diagnostic.

 

All systems running normally.

 

So why did he feel so ill?

 

He closed his eyes, opening up his memory banks.

 

Playing Records: Creator.

 

* * *

 

Arthur started crying.

 

* * *

 

Lewis was slightly concerned when he heard soft sniffling from the back of the van. He became worried when there was slight whimpering. He stopped the car when he heard all out sobbing.

 

“Arthur?” He questioned as he and Vivi entered the back of the van. Mystery snorted at the sudden awakening, looking at them confused before noticing Arthur’s condition.

 

They all sidled up to his side, Arthur sobbing openly, eyes screwed shut and hands grasping his head.

 

Lewis placed a hand on his shoulder only to quickly retract it at the heat emanating from the metal, letting out a hiss.

 

“He’s burning up,” Lewis gasped.

 

“Artie, what’s wrong?” Vivi tentatively reached towards him, softly taking his hands in her own, heat not yet strong enough in them to burn her.

 

Arthur shook his head violently, trying to wrench back his hands, but her grip was too firm.

 

“Arthur you can talk to us,” Lewis tried.

 

Arthur’s body wracked in silent sobs, trying to contain his cries.

 

Mystery put a paw on one of Arthur’s hands, Lewis following, grasping all of their hands together.

 

“He…”

 

Arthur let out a loud cry.

 

“He lied to me!”

 

Flashbacks of his father played over and over behind his eyes: him begging not for his memories to be erased, his father yelling angrily at him, the forced shut down.

 

It all came rushing over him in waves.

 

Betrayal. Anger. Sadness. Guilt.

 

Happiness.

 

Happiness that he finally found the truth.

 

Happiness that his friends cared for him so much.

 

Happiness that they were here for him now.

 

He started laughing amidst his cries, taking his hands back only to throw his arms around the trio, confusing them.

 

But, they wrapped their arms around him in return, glad for the affection.

 

Lewis and Vivi glanced at each other, worried, before closing their eyes and melting into the hug.


	8. Chapter 8

“So you remember?” Vivi questioned.

 

“Not exactly,” Arthur shook his head, clarifying, “He erased them from my memory banks, but I remember him doing that now.”

 

Lewis frowned but nodded in understanding.

 

“So what are you planning to do?” Lewis asked, curious.

 

“There’s not much I can do about the memories if that’s what you mean,” Arthur tilted his head, confused.

 

“No. About your dad,” Lewis frowned, “Are you going to confront him about this?”

 

Arthur grimaced.

 

“I’ll take that as a no,” Lewis sighed.

 

“He’s my creator before he’s my father. I can’t just go against what he wants. It’ll only lead to well… worse consequences probably.”

 

Arthur wrung his hands together.

 

Lewis frowned deeply.

 

Mystery looked between the two before trotting over to Arthur and sitting next to him, huffing slightly.

 

“Mystery is right. We’ll protect you, Arthur,” Vivi nodded resolutely.

 

Lewis crossed his arms.

 

“We will but… I think that’s Arthur’s decision. To talk to his dad or not to.”

 

They all turned to look at Arthur.

 

Arthur shook his head, “I don’t think anything good will come of talking to him about this. He’s my father but… maybe I shouldn’t trust his judgment this time around.”

 

“What do you mean?” Vivi questioned softly.

 

“Well, I think I know why he erased my memories. Why he spent time upgrading me further… what the sickness was in the first place.”

 

Lewis and Vivi looked at each other while Mystery tilted his head curiously.

 

Arthur wrung his hands together again.

 

“Well, I was built to be a friendly and helpful assistant to my father but nothing beyond that. So when things started happening friendship-wise there was a complication where I couldn’t process the emotions I was feeling beyond friendship and familial love.”

 

Arthur paused and took a breath.

 

“Because I was feeling something different, my processors didn’t know how to handle it. It caused me to overheat with the extra work in trying to figure out something beyond my programming database.”

 

Arthur took another breath, clearly distressed.

 

“My father fixed the issue after he wiped my memory. He knew this would happen again, I’m sure of it. Because I can feel that emotion now and I can register what it is. What I couldn’t process feeling before…”

 

Arthur shook his head.

 

“I just don’t know why he was okay with it happening again when he put up so much resistance in the first place. Maybe he wasn’t ready to let go?”

 

Arthur shook his head again.

 

“The point is that I don’t want to let go of this feeling again because of how my father might react. How he might react to me disobeying him is also something I’d prefer to avoid. But, if you think I should talk to him, I’ll do it.”

 

Arthur nodded, still unsure of himself, but willing to trust the rest of the Mystery Crew.

 

Vivi was the first to speak up.

 

“I don’t think it’s right for you to have to worry about how your dad might react to anything. He’s your creator, yes, but he’s also your dad. He should be more open to what you’re doing now. What you enjoy doing, besides being a mechanic.”

 

“I think you should talk to him,” Lewis agreed, “We’ll be there for moral support no matter what. But what Vivi said is right. He should be open to the changes in you. And if he upgraded you to help with those changes then I think deep down he knows that too.”

 

Mystery barked in agreement, laying his head in Arthur’s lap.

 

Arthur smiled and gave him a pat.

 

“You’re right. I guess I’m still just as tentative as ever.”

 

“We’ll get through this together, Artie,” Lewis smiled softly.

 

Vivi flashed a thumbs up and a big smile.

 

“Let’s get going then!” She nodded and exited the back of the van as quick as a flash, taking a seat in the driver’s side.

 

Mystery lifted his head from Arthur’s lap, giving him a quick lick to the face before bouncing up and around to the passenger’s side.

 

“Guess that means that, huh Lewis?” Arthur chuckled nervously at the implications of Vivi driving.

 

Lewis smiled and nodded his head, “Guess so. Might as well get some rest while we’re back here, yeah?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t for a few miles down the road and a half-asleep Arthur before a question popped up in Lewis’ head.

 

“Arthur?”

 

“Hmm?” The robot yawned and turned to face him from his spot on the old mattress.

 

“What feeling was it you couldn’t process exactly?”

 

“Oh… that’s an easy one.”

 

Lewis cocked an eyebrow.

 

“It’s because I was in love with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


End file.
